Climbing gaff



J. M. S TElN CLIMBING GAFF March 20, 1962 Filed Sept. 8, 1959 Uite Sttes This invention relates to a pole or tree climbing aid and more particularly to leg gafis.

The general use of leg galls by workmen for climbing wooden columns, such as telephone or utility poles, tree trunks and like, is old. Usually such equipment consists of a base strap adapted to be secured to the inner side of each of the users legs and with an inwardly and downwardly extending spur or gali extending from each of the base straps. While such equipment is satisfactory for climbing, the two sharp galls pose a serious and dangerous problem to the user, when he is walking on the ground. In fact, the danger is so great that most companies require their employees to immediately remove the leg galfs upon reaching the ground from the pole or like they have been climbing. Inasmuch as the leg galls are strapped and buckled to the legs of the user, it is both tedious and time consuming to be constantly intermittently first installing the leg gaffs and then removing them. Furthermore, if the weather is cold, it is even more difiicult as the leg gaffs cannot be installed or removed with gloved hands.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a leg gaff that is provided with a spur spike that may be easily and quickly removed therefrom, thereby permitting the base leg portion to remain strapped onto the users leg for more than one climbing operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a leg gaff with a removable spur blade that permits the removal of the spur blade or its replacement by glove incased hands.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a leg gai'r" for climbing purposes that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my leg gaff minus the usual attaching straps,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged inside view of the spur blade portion of the device,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and more fully illustrates its construction,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the spur blade portion detached from the base leg portion,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of my climbing aid and is taken on line 55 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the device taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 7 is a view of the lower portion of the leg base.

As is well known, a pole or tree climber uses two climbing galls, i.e., one strapped to each of the legs of the user. Inasmuch as the two climbing gaifs are duplicates of each other, I have shown and will describe only one unit, it being understood that a climber will employ two.

In the drawings I have used the numeral 10 to designate the usual base portion which has an elongated vertical portion 11 adapted to extend at the inner side of the leg of the user. At the lower end of the portion 11 is a horizontal portion 12 which acts as a stirrup to extend under the foot of the user. The numeral 13 designates an upright portion at the outer end of the portion 12 and is adapted to extend upwardly at the outer side of the foot of the user. This portion 13 and the upper end of the portion 11 are provided with a slot 15, as shown in FIG. 1, for receiving straps or like for attaching the base portion 10 to the foot and leg of the user. Such fastening straps are old and are not shown in the drawings. The member 10 thus far described is substantially standard equipment used by climbers and I will now describe in detail my means of detachably securing the gall or spur blade to the lower portion of the element 11.

In the lower portion of the vertical portion 11, I provide an elongated vertical hole 16. The lower end of this hole 16 is horizontally straight to provide a ledge 17, as shown in FIG. 3.

The numerals 19 and 20 designate two parallel elongated slits in the lower portion of the portion 11, as shown in FIG. 2. These two slits 19 and 20 have their lower portions extending at each side of the upper portions of the hole 16, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2. The upper end of the hole 16 is also horizontally straight but is beveled to extend downwardly and inwardly, as shown in FIG. 3. Spaced from this top end 21 of the hole 16 are two opposed lug portions 22 and 23 extending horizontally into the hole 16 from opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 2. The upper surfaces of each of these lugs 22 and 23 are beveled to extend upwardly and toward the leg of the user, and the lower edges of the lugs 22 and 23 are beveled to extend downwardly and toward the leg of the user. These two lugs 22 and 23 are spaced apart from each other. The numeral 25 designates a continuous sleeve having its length slidably extending through the slits 19 and 20. By this structure the sleeve 25 may be manually slid upwardly or downwardly relative to the portion 11. The numeral 26 designates a pin hole through that portion of the sleeve 25 that is farthest from the leg of the user. The numeral 27 generally designates the gall or spur blade portion of my device. This member 27 has a block portion 29 with a horizontal transverse groove 30 in its bottom edge portion that is closest to the leg of the user. The numeral 31 designates the spur or blade portion that is a sharpened prong that extends downwardly and away from the leg of the user and which is a continuation of the lower portion of the portion 29. This pointed wood engaging spear portion 31 is forward of the groove 30, as shown in FIG. 4. At the upper end of the portion 29 is a vertical upwardly extending neck portion 32. The numeral 33 designates a substantially rectangular head portion on the upper end of the neck portion 32. When my detachable spur blade is attachably placed onto the portion 11 of the leg base 10, the groove 30 is first placed to embrace the ledge or edge 17 of the portion 11, as shown in FIG. 3. The upper portion of this unit is swung toward the leg of the user thereby bringing its portion 29 into the hole 16 and with the head 33 in the upper portion of the hole 16 above the lugs 22 and 23. The neck 32 will extend upwardly between these lugs 22 and 23. The upper edge of the head 33 is beveled to extend downwardly and toward the leg of the user to complement the beveled upper edge of the hole 16 and the lower edges of the head 33 at each side of the neck 32 are beveled to extend upwardly toward the leg of the user to complement the upper beveled edges of the lugs 22 and 23. The upper edges of the portion 29 at each side of the neck 32 are beveled to extend downwardly and toward the leg of the user to complement the lower beveled edges of the lugs 22 and 23. By this construction of parts, the detachable spin gaff cannot have its upper end portion swung toward the leg of the user to a point where the same will pass through the upper portion of the hole 16. The lower end of the portion 29 cannot be swung inwardly or outwardly relative to the leg of the user because of the groove 30 embracing both sides and top of the ledge portion 17 of the portion 11. The movement of the upper portion of portion 29, neck 32 and head 33 into the upper area of the hole 16 can only be accomplished when the sleeve 25 is in an elevated position, as shown in FIG. 2. After the unit has been so placed within the hole 16, the sleeve 25 is manually slid downwardly to embrace the head 33. With the sleeve 25 embracing the head portion 33, the upper end of the unit will be rigidly held against swinging action from the hole 16 of the member 13. Thus, the sleeve 25 serves as a retaining collar for holding the detachable unit of the portion 11. Any suitable means may be used for holding the sleeve 25 in such lowered position and against accidental upward sliding movement. In the drawings I show a leaf spring 35 laterally hingedly secured to the portion 29 by a headed rivet or like 36. On the outer free end of the leaf spring 35 is a button 37 having a pin 39 capable of slidably extending through the hole 26 of the sleeve 25 and slidably into a well 40 in the face of the head 33 as shown in FIG 3. The spring action of the member 35 will yieldingly hold the pin 39 in such effective position and my detachable unit will thereby be safely locked to the portion 11 against accidental detachment.

To remove the gall or spur unit from the portion 11, it is merely necessary to pull the knob 37 against the resilient action of the spring 35 and after the pin 39 has cleared the hole 26, to swing the knob and leaf spring to an ineffective lateral position, as shown in FIG. 2. At this time the sleeve 25 is elevated and the gaff or spur unit portion lifted from the hole 16. By such a construction the base leg portions may be left on the user for several operations inasmuch as it is a simple matter to remove and replace the gait unit portions between the climbing phases.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my climbing gaff without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a wooden column climbing device, a strap base member having an inner side and an outer side, and adapted to have its inner side secured to the inner side of the leg of the user; said strap base member having an opening, a spike blade unit having a groove detachably embracing the area of the strap base member directly below its opening, and a retainer sleeve collar vertically slidably mounted on said strap base member capable of engaging the upper portion of said spike blade unit when in a 10W- ered position and capable of being free of said spike blade unit when in an elevated sliding position.

2. In a Wooden column climbing device, a strap base member having an inner side and an outer side, and adapted to have its inner side secured to the inner side of the leg of the user; said strap base member having an opening, a spike blade unit having a groove detachably embracing the area of the strap base member directly below its opening, a retainer sleeve collar vertically slidably mounted on said strap base member capable of engaging the upper portion of said spike blade unit when in a lowered position and capable of being free of said spike blade unit when in an elevated sliding position, and means capable of detachably locking said retainer sleeve collar in a lowered position of its sliding movement.

3. In a wooden column climbing device, a strap base member having an inner side and an outer side, and adapted to have its inner side secured to the inner side of the leg of the user; said strap base member having an opening, a spike blade unit having a groove detachably embracing the area of the strap base member directly below its opening, a retainer sleeve collar vertically slidably mounted on said strap base member capable of engaging the upper portion of said spike blade unit when in a lowered position and capable of being free of said spike blade unit when in an elevated sliding position; said sleeve having a hole, a pin well in said spike blade unit, and a spring loaded pin operatively secured to said spike blade unit capable of extending through the hole in said sleeve and into the pin well of said spike blade unit.

4. In a wooden column climbing device, a strap base member having an inner side and an outer side, and adapted to have its inner side secured to the inner side of the leg of the user; said strap base member having an opening, a spike blade unit having a groove detachably embracing the area of the strap base member directly below its opening, a retainer sleeve collar vertically slidably mounted on said strap base member capable of engaging the upper portion of said spike blade unit when in a lowered position and capable of being free of said spike blade unit when in an elevated sliding position; said strap base member having its area above its opening beveled to extend downwardly and outwardly, and said spike blade unit having its upper area beveled to extend upwardly and inwardly to engage and complement the beveled area of said strap base member.

5. In a wooden column climbing device, a strap base member having an inner side and an outer side, and adapted to have its inner side secured to the inner side of the leg of the user; said strap base member having an opening, a spike blade unit having a groove detachably embracing the area of the strap base member directly below its opening, a retainer sleeve collar vertically slidably mounted on said strap base member capable of engaging the upper portion of said spike blade unit when in a lowered position and capable of being free of said spike blade unit when in an elevated sliding position, means capable of detachably locking said retainer sleeve collar in a lowered position of its sliding movement; said strap base member having its area above its opening beveled to extend downwardly and outwardly, and said spike blade unit having its upper area beveled to extend upwardly and inwardly to engage and complement the beveled area of said strap base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,113 Howard Dec. 28, 1897 620,741 Cole Mar. 7, 1899 628,070 Butler July 4, 1899 693,433 Owens Feb. 18, 1902 2,570,001 McCammond Oct. 2, 1951 2,835,426 Terry May 20, 1958 

